1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a formation process for a glossy surface. More particularly, it relates to a formation process for a glossy surface using a clear toner.
2. Description of Related Arts
Printed matter as represented by a photograph or a poster can now be prepared by an ink jet apparatus or an image formation apparatus according to an electrophotographic system owing to recent development of digital processing technology, in addition to a silver halide photography system or a printing system such as gravure printing which have been long used. For some of printed matter such as a photograph and a poster prepared by the image formation apparatus as described above is required a high gloss image with such finished quality that the entire area of a recording material should present a uniform and glossy surface.
A high gloss image means an image with so-called photographic quality, and specifically an image whose 60° gloss is 50 or more. In this connection, with respect to a higher gloss image with the 60° gloss of 80 or more, a 20° gloss method is applied and its gloss is expressed by a measured 20° gloss.
In order to form such a high gloss image, a process has been known, in which a clear toner is supplied onto an image carrier, and the clear toner is fixed by a release-after-cooling fixation method. For example in Patent Literature 1 (JP-A-No. 2002-99168) and Patent Literature 2 (JP-A-No. 2002-99169) is disclosed a fixation apparatus for a glossy surface, equipped with a heating roll, a strip roll placed with certain distance to the heating roll, an endless belt circulating spanned at least by the strip roll and the heating roll, a press roll pressing the endless belt against the heating roll, and a cooling structure placed on the side of an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt and having a pressing and cooling surface, which presses and cools such a part of the belt inner circumferential surface of the endless belt as from the heating roll up to the strip roll to the direction of the external circumferential surface of the belt.